


Ocean's Blue

by Phayte



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Firefighter Tachibana Makoto, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mermaid Haruka Nanase, Minor Hazuki Nagisa/Ryuugazaki Rei, Minor Matsuoka Rin/Yamazaki Sousuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 17:38:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21058349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phayte/pseuds/Phayte
Summary: This was the boy who had saved him. The boy who put air into his lungs and brought him to the surface of the water. He had told his parents what had happened, and they blamed it on him swallowing too much sea water. Even as everyone had told him it was all in his imagination, he could never get that boy out of his head.As he got older, he would find himself going down to the beach, but never getting in the ocean. He could swim now, and he was good at it-- but he was afraid of the moving water. At times he swore he could feel eyes on him, but he figured it was all his imagination.





	Ocean's Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Icicle33 (Icicle)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icicle/gifts).

> Prompt from Icicle-- Future Fish AU with fluffy MakoHaru!

Makoto never liked the ocean-- never trusted it. It all stemmed from where he was younger, on a trip with his parents to the beach. 

It really wasn’t their fault for not watching him. His mother had gone to get snacks from the food truck and his father was deep into a book. Makoto was only supposed to go knee deep as he couldn’t swim yet. 

Something had caught Makoto’s eyes-- and he wasn’t sure if what he saw was exactly what he had seen. 

A young boy, around his age, way out deep in the water. 

Makoto tried not to worry, but he did. Chewing his bottom lip, he stepped a bit further out into the water. The more he stepped, the closer he got to the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He felt as if he were in a trance-- one he could not break from. 

What he did not know was the further out he went, the bigger the waves got. A wave crashed over him, carrying him and his tiny body under water. Immediate panic set in and Makoto tried to cry out but his mouth filled with water. 

He was spun around like a ragdoll in the water. He had no idea which direction was up or down. Kicking his legs and moving his arms, all he did was spin more. Panic seized him, and he felt his heart racing. 

He wanted to run back to shore, hug his mother and father and apologize for not listening. He wanted to finish building that sandcastle and collecting more shells. He wanted to do so many things. 

Another attempt at crying out and he found no voice. He found nothing. The water was dark and his lungs were burning. He longed for air, he needed air. One last push and he felt his vision growing dark as that need to breath in came stronger at him. 

Maybe it was the lack of oxygen, but Makoto felt hands on his arms and a mouth on his. He felt air being pushed into his lungs as his body was dragged faster than he could imagine through the water. 

The water got brighter as he sped through it, a tiny hand around his wrist as something brushed over his legs. Makoto thought he had drowned and was dreaming at this point-- but before he knew it, the water was getting even brighter, and he could see the sun shining. Breaking through, he took a deep breath and coughed a bit. 

He was on the other side of the waves. How had he gotten out so far? How was he holding himself above the water?

Blinking his eyes, he felt a hand still around his wrist. Turning his head slowly, Makoto was chewing his bottom lip once more, feeling the raw place he had worried on it time and again. 

There was a boy next to him. Dark hair that laid wet on his forehead as piercing blue eyes, blue like the ocean stared back at him. 

He tried to open his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. 

“You shouldn’t worry your lip like that,” the boy said, “And you really need to learn how to swim.” 

That was all the boy had said. As quickly as they had made it out to the deeper part of the ocean, the whistles of the lifeguards where going off and men where swimming out to him. Everyone looked so small at the shore, and the boy held his wrist til the last moment. Once a man had made his way out to him, the hold on his wrist was gone, Makoto went back under the water-- watching as his blurry watery vision saw a blue fin swimming away. 

* * *

“Tachibana!” Sousuke called out, his patrol car pulling up to the firehouse. 

“Oi! What’s up?” Makoto called, getting his gear put on as they just got a call. 

“Your dumbass friend blew up their lab again!” Rin called out, leaning over Sousuke to hang out the window. 

“Yeah, we just got the call,” Makoto laughed, pulling up his suspenders as he grabbed his jacket. “Race ya there?” 

“You’re on, Tachibana!” Sousuke called out, flooring his patrol car as Makoto grabbed the back of the firetruck and heard the driver laughing out the window. 

“Don’t let those cops beat up!” Makoto called out, slapping the side of the truck. 

The firetruck raced out into the street-- sirens blaring as they chased the patrol car. Makoto was laughing as the wind blew all around him. They were called over to the lab that Rei worked at least once a week. He saw the small plume of smoke as they rounded the corner-- though they were neck and neck with the patrol car. 

Rin hung out the window, laughing and flipping him off as they made it to the lab. People outside of the building and he did not see Rei. 

“Where is Rei?” Makoto asked, hopping off the back of the truck. He kept scanning the people outside and did not see Rei anywhere. Usually it was a small explosion that set off the fire alarm, nothing to this extent. 

“Dumbass probably in the lab trying to salvage whatever the hell he blew up,” Rin said, leaning on the patrol car as if they were not in a crisis situation. 

“Dammit!” Makoto cried, running into the building, being met by thick smoke. Raising a mask over his face, he continued down the hallway and up the stairs-- knowing exactly where Rei’s lab was. 

Halfway there, he called out for Rei, and then heard Rei calling back for him. Why was Rei still in the lab?! Running as fast as he could, he made it to the laboratory, seeing flames licking around the door where Rei was hiding in the back by a window for air. He had to quickly rush through the flames and check on Rei. 

“No!” Rei called out. “Nagisa is in the next room!” 

“Why is Nagisa even here?” he asked. 

“He was helping me for when he goes to the moon next time. There is a certain element that he can collect and then he was tinkering in the lab next door and--” 

“--Got it!” Makoto said and got his radio to get his men to bring a ladder to the lab window. He had to go and get Nagisa. “Stay at the window, help is coming!” 

“But what about Nagisa?” Rei asked. 

Makoto put his hand on Rei’s shoulder. “I’ve never left a man behind.” 

With that, Makoto saw the wall of flames coming closer to them. His mask in place and he had to go through the doorway once more. The heat was making him sweat all over, but he knew if Nagisa was next door, he had to go and get him. Another rush through the flames and Makoto saw the door shut to the other lab. Kicking the door in, he couldn’t see anything from the flames and smoke. 

“Nagisa!” he yelled. 

He got nothing back. Rushing into the room, he made his way to the back so he could open a window and get air. He had to find Nagisa! He could see the ladders coming to get Rei, and it did set his mind at ease on that part. 

A hand grabbing his ankle, startling him and Makoto yelled out. Looking down, he saw the dirty face of Nagisa smiling up at him. 

“Oops?” Nagisa whispered before passing out. 

* * *

It was late when he left the hospital. Nagisa was fine, just some smoke inhalation, and Rei was only checked over and cleared. They wanted to keep Nagisa for the night for observations and Rei refused to leave his side. 

“You’re never playing in my lab again!” Rei kept yelling, though he never let go of Nagisa’s hand the entire time he lectured him on lab safety. 

“Let’s go get some drinks,” Sousuke said, wrapping his arm around Makoto’s shoulders as they left the hospital. 

“Hell yes!” Rin said. “I need at least three pitchers of beer tonight!” 

“Guys! I’m tired, and filthy!” Makoto whined. 

In the end, he wound up getting a few beers with Sousuke and Rin before making his way home. Stumbling out of the bar, Makoto longed for a shower and his bed. His flat was dark and quiet, and as he took his boots off and set his keys down, Makoto swore he heard water splashing. 

It had to of been the long day he had. Dragging his feet, he made his way to the bathroom, but the light was on. That was odd, he was sure he had turned it off already. 

Opening the door-- the first thing he saw was a blue fin, hanging out the edge of his tub, and water all over the floor. 

Then he saw a man with dark hair lounged back as if he were asleep-- in his tub. 

“Um… excuse me?” Makoto asked. 

Blue eyes opened-- eyes he swore he knew, but how could he? No one had eyes that blue and piercing. 

“Did you ever learn how to swim?” the man asked. 

Makoto passed out and fell to the floor. 

Water was being splashed in his face, and when Makoto came back too, he was in the tub, his clothes were soaked and blue eyes filled with worry staring at him. Blinking, he felt this was all so familiar, but how could it? 

The man was stretched over his chest, running a cloth down his face. 

“You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head,” the man said. 

“Who… what?” Makoto asked, feeling heavy in his clothes and this… man? Fish? Laying on his chest as he washed his face. 

“You reek,” the man said, leaning in. “Spirits and smoke.” 

“I helped put out a fire and had a drink afterwards,” Makoto said. He thought maybe he drank more than he thought. Rin was known for slipping more beer into his glass when he wasn’t looking. 

“That’s why you stink,” the man said, still washing him down. 

Taking the cloth from the man’s hand, Makoto was haunted by the blue eyes glaring at him. How did he know those eyes? Looking down the man’s body, he saw at his waist where his skin slowly changed into blue scales down to a massively large, beautiful fin. Chewing his bottom lip, a habit he had broken so long ago, he stared at the...

Merman? 

Couldn’t be. 

“I thought I told you to stop worrying your lip,” Haru said. 

Makoto stopped immediately, shaking his head. 

“How?” he asked. “Who?” 

“My name is Haru,” Haru said, resting his elbows on his chest and staring at him. 

“Ah… Makoto,” he said. 

“I know.” 

It went quiet as Makoto tried to sit up, shifting Haru a bit off of him. He had a million questions, but no idea how to ask them. 

“You keep your key under the mat, and wasn’t hard to find you,” Haru said, letting out the water. 

Makoto was soaked and rose from the tub, leaving Haru in there. He did his best to peel his clothes off and tie a towel around his waist. 

“You never answered me,” Haru said. “Did you ever learn to swim?” 

“Yeah… went to a swim school and joined a club in middle and high school…” Makoto said, trying to dry his hair. 

Then it all hit him. Blinking in his mirror, he had all the memories rushing at him. Being four years old… at the ocean… the wave… the boy. 

“Wait! Are you…?” he trailed off, turning around he felt the weight of those blue eyes on him. Rushing to the side of the tub, he held Haru’s face in his hands as if he were inspecting him. 

Haru simply nodded. 

This was the boy who had saved him. The boy who put air into his lungs and brought him to the surface of the water. He had told his parents what had happened, and they blamed it on him swallowing too much sea water. Even as everyone had told him it was all in his imagination, he could never get that boy out of his head. 

As he got older, he would find himself going down to the beach, but never getting in the ocean. He could swim now, and he was good at it-- but he was afraid of the moving water. At times he swore he could feel eyes on him, but he figured it was all his imagination. 

Haru just stared at him, confirming everything Makoto was told all his life was his mind playing tricks on him. 

It was all real, it was not a dream. Makoto dreamed of these eyes almost every night, and he always searched for those blue eyes, never knowing why. Holding Haru’s face in his hands-- he had all his answers. 

“Thank… thank you for saving me,” Makoto whispered. 

Haru just nodded, and his hands rose to touch his. Haru’s skin was cool, and as he stared into the tub, the fin had changed over to legs. 

“...what?” Makoto breathed. 

“Once I dry up… that happens,” Haru said. “I would have come earlier, but didn’t know I could do this.” 

A gulp and Makoto was taking a towel and covering Haru with it. A chuckle and Haru was standing up, his legs wobbled a bit as Makoto rushed to help him. 

“Still getting used to these things,” Haru said as Makoto helped him from the tub. 

A stumble and he had Haru in his arms. He barely knew this guy, but he also felt it was the missing pieces he had been looking for since he was younger. Haru had wrapped his arms around his neck and once again, he was lost in those blue eyes. He never wanted to stop looking into them.

He spent his life saving lives all for the man who had saved his. He had no way to repay Haru for what he did, and he figured he could pay it all forward. Holding Haru in his arms felt right, and there was no hesitation. 

Makoto had no idea who leaned in first, but their lips brushed together and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Haru’s legs were still shaking and he easily lifted Haru into his arms and just held his cold body to his. 

“The water was warmer,” Haru whispered against his lips. “How do you humans live like this?” 

“We wear clothes,” Makoto chuckled, then they were kissing once more. 

His mind wasn’t thinking anymore as he walked towards his bedroom. Maybe he should have asked Haru if this was what he wanted, but Haru was not protesting. Gently setting Haru onto his bed, he pulled back the covers and watched as Haru crawled under them. 

“I can get you some clothes… though they might be a bit large on you. Maybe my friend Rin has some you can wear--” 

He was cut off by Haru pulling him under the covers with him. They were kissing again. Haru’s body was still cold against his, and Makoto was very much aware that he only had a towel on at that moment. 

The more they kissed, the more Haru warmed up. Pressing against him, and Haru’s hands pulling the towel from his body. Makoto yelped and pulled back, seeing blue eyes stare at him in confusion. 

“We don’t have too,” Haru said, though his eyes told him just how much he really wanted too. 

Running his hand down Haru’s face, Makoto leaned in and kissed him gently. It was not that he did not want too, but he had so many questions. The more they kissed, the more his questions seem to wash away. Haru was so responsive the more they kissed. Small hums and soft moans while Haru’s hands moved over Makoto’s body 

“I’ve never seen a human as big as you,” Haru breathed, kissing down his neck. 

“And I’ve never seen…” Makoto trailed off. 

Haru nibbled at his neck, rolling so his body was on top of his. Lifting up, blue eyes darkened as they stared down at Makoto. “But you met me so long ago… and I’ve never forgotten you.” 

All he could do was nod. Kissing Haru’s lips, they were warm and soft against his. Running his hands down Haru’s slender back, he never wanted to stop touching him. 

“I want to know all about you,” Makoto said, kissing between Haru’s eyes. 

“That could take awhile,” Haru said. “I remember everything since I was a tadpole.”

“You don’t plan on leaving… do you? And what? A tadpole?” Makoto asked. 

Haru shook his head and rolled next to him, telling him about the ocean, his family and all about the water. He explained how he understood the water, and how he had heard the silent cry of a young boy that day he saved Makoto. Haru also explained how he saw Makoto on the shore many times, hoping one day he would step foot in the water so they could meet once again. 

The more Haru talked of his life at sea, the more Makoto could feel Haru’s love for the water. Tears welled in his eyes and Haru felt the shake in his chest. Lifting up, Haru stared down at Makoto and wiped a tear from his cheek. 

“Makoto?” Haru asked. 

Shaking his head, Makoto was just feeling too much. Had Haru not been there that day, he would not have had this life he has now. He would not be holding Haru as he heard about all the wonders of the one thing that terrified him the most. 

Haru kissed his sobs away, running his fingers through his hair as he did. It calmed Makoto as his emotions came pouring forward. Holding tightly to Haru, Makoto never wanted to let go, but he also knew Haru belonged to the ocean. 

The warmth of Haru next to him, their hearts beating together and Makoto knew what he had to do. Kissing Haru more, he swallowed and stared into the eyes he had been dreaming about all his life. 

He knew there was only one person… fish, that could help him. Smiling at Haru, Makoto mustered up all the courage he had inside of him. 

“Take me to the ocean,” Makoto said. 

Haru blinked at him. “Are you sure?”

Nodding his head, Makoto could be brave in so many ways. Rushing into burning buildings, saving cats in trees, and any other disaster. He had one fear and he knew with Haru at his side, he could easily overcome it. 

“I want to swim with you,” Makoto said. 

Haru smiled and Makoto found it to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Another kiss and Haru nodded. “I’d love to swim with you, more than anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> This piece has not been beta-ed  
Kudos and Comments are what keep me going!!! Leave me some love!  
I can be found in different platforms!  
[Twitter - Phayte](https://twitter.com/PhaytesWorld)** |** [Tumblr - Phaytesworld](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/phaytesworld)
> 
> XOXOX  
Phayte


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